Wednesday, May 30, 2007

While checking out desire to inspire I saw this desk by knú and, boy, am I ever inspired!! Aren't those legs just killer?!?! If its gorgeous shape doesn't make you instantly fall in love, its green materials will. The sustainable wood components are made from FSC certified birch multi-ply substrate, there's a choice of 6 green veneers, and it's finished with an extremely tough, environmentally-friendly varnish. SWEET! The price tag is a little steep but if you pre-order now, you get a 20% discount.

I just read that Steelo, a chic (mostly) shoe boutique in Chicago's Wicker Park area, will be closing its doors at the end of June. They're selling their merchandise as well as furniture and fixtures for anywhere from 15 to 80% off! Now is the time to get in there and nab a great deal on display worthy shelving or perfect-height-for-trying-on-shoes seating.

Friday, May 25, 2007

My husband and I met with a mortgage broker on Tuesday to discuss our options for buying a home. We have a clearer understanding of how much this is condo purchase is going to cost us. It's doable, but we are going to have to make sure we budget ourselves better.

We don't live an extravagant lifestyle, but our one big splurge is food. We love to cook and try to buy the freshest and best ingredients we can afford. Sometimes we're not very good about making lists or will forget that we already have 4 cans of chickpeas at home when we're at the store. That's why this adorable grocery notepad by local crafty lady seamripper is so perfect for us. It comes with a magnet on the back, so we can stick it up on our fridge and jot down when we need some more eggs, soy milk, or garlic.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A friend of mine recently announced that he's selling his one-bedroom condo in Uptown. In hopes of simplifying his move and his life, he's decided to throw a doozy of an estate sale. It sounds like he's selling pretty much everything: from ornate artwork to disco CD's. He's a gallery owner with a taste for the finer things so I would imagine he'll have a lot of art, antiques, and all things gilded.

If you're not really in the market for someone else's furniture but, rather, looking for some place to put your own, you might want to use this opportunity to sneak in and check out the condo.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Urban Source is celebrating their 2nd birthday! Woo! In honor of the occasion they are giving away five free one-hour design consultations - one winner per day from May 29th through June 2nd. Drawing entries can be submitted starting tomorrow (May 22nd) at the Urban Source showroom. No purchase necessary. New clients only.

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Eric from Gold Digger wants to re-upholster a chair in a fabric that's "very 1970s drug den but...still modern." I don't know if the Ava Truffle stripe fits his criteria but I sent it to him anyway. It is entirely too HOT to keep under wraps. He may not use it but he's got to appreciate those "fuchsia highlights."

Friday, May 18, 2007

Prayer candles (or, as I call them, "Jesus candles") have littered my space since I was in middle school. I usually lose track of them or move before I have the chance to burn them all the way down. Now that I've seen that you can make them into drinking glasses (!), I'll be sure to keep them around.

Which leads me to the technicalities of the project, can you reuse candle containers as drinking glasses? Is there really a way to clean out the wax completely? AT - New York covered wax removal awhile ago but they weren't concerned with drinking from the same receptacles. The other option is finding a vendor that sells the empty cylinders. Does anyone know where one can buy the containers without the candle?

The idea of serving chilled mojitos or cranberry lemonade in these tall, festive "Jesus glasses" makes me so happy. I've got to find a way.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

I love this shop. Perusing CircaWho's lo-tech website feels just like walking around a dusty but bountiful thrift shop. They have some pretty great stuff! If you actually happen to be in Florida, they're only open on Saturdays or by "chance or appointment." The website is updated every Tuesday and since everyone is considered a decorator, everyone gets the "trade discount." It seems, however, that you'll have to email the shop to see the price tags.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Molding detail at the first condo we looked at, which also turned out to be our favorite.

Doorway of our 2nd favorite condo.

Our first condo outing with our realtor was a big success. We checked out six different places. Some ok, some not so great (Um, remember to flush your toilet! I am not kidding!!), some so insanely adorable but ruled out because we've decided central air is a deal breaker for us, and two possible winners.

The first place we looked at was a new gut rehab and is our top choice of the bunch. It has everything going for it. We dug the combined living room/kitchen, 2 bathrooms (finally one of us doesn't have to do a little dance while the other is using the bathroom), the third floor has amazingly high ceilings, and the deck stole our hearts. I never thought I could fall in love with a deck, but I have!!! The only down side is that it is a little west of the train, so it would be a bit of a hike.

One of the last places we looked at is a little older, but still very nice. It is also on the top floor and has a wonderful view a park across the street, but the back deck is rather scary looking. This property is much closer to the train and a grocery store, but we're not as gaga over this place.

I kept on daydreaming about the first place we saw all day on Sunday. I'll paint this room this color and wallpaper this wall, arrange the furniture like this, plant these plants on the gorgeous deck, etc. etc. Le sigh!!!!! So I think that is a sign. Now I just need to convince my old man!

So we're going to keep on hunting and who knows maybe we'll go back and visit the first place again. Also up today, talking to a mortgage broker!!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

I'm a sucker for anything velvet! In the words of George Costanza, "I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable." So I guess the next best thing would be to curl up in this gorgeous raspberry colored velvet chair from Graham & Greene. When I showed Cardboard the color options for this chair we drooled at the idea of getting one in raspberry and one in lagoon. Le sigh!

Tomorrow my husband and I are going to go look at our first batch of condos with our real estate agent. Does anyone have any suggestions on stuff to look for or try out when looking at properties? Cardboard once told me to turn on all the lights at once to see if you blow a fuse, flush the toilet (no matter how embarrassed you might feel), and turn on each faucet and the shower to check the water pressure and temperature. Another friend told me to make sure to jot down a few notes after you see each place. After awhile they will all start to blur together. All great suggestions! I remember reading once (on AT I think) about a guy that brought a lamp with him and tested every single outlet. So what are your tips and tricks?

Thursday, May 10, 2007

I'm starting to feel that wall stickers/decals are a little played out. They're very cool and cooperative (meaning temporary) but I've grown tired of seeing the same pattern over and over again.

Kids, though, kids like repetition and monotony. You can sing the same song five times in a row or reread the same book until it starts to fall apart and children will, time after time, gasp with the very same delight. This is why I don't think they'll mind if everyone else has wall stickers...just as long as they get them too.That, and I think these wall stickers from dVider are actually pretty cute.

She packed her gear into a small U-Haul and has about two full days of driving ahead of her. Mama Cardboard is coming out with her, which is good, because we've all heard plenty of U-Haul horror stories, right?

Does anyone have any good moving stories? What about any laugh-about-it-now bad ones?

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Hey y'all! Reserve this Friday after work for Looptopia, a dusk 'till dawn cultural and artistic extravaganza down in the Loop (duh)! There will be music, art, theatre, film, dance, readings, discussions, food, spectacle, and well, basically, a whole bunch of stuff. So come on out and shake your tail feathers and let off some steam.

You won't want to miss JaGoFF at the MFChicago stage performing at 5pm. Ok, that was just a shameless plug for my husband's band. But seriously y'all, they rule! Cardboard will back me up on this one.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

The is the last weekend before Bamboo arrives! I'm in a time crunch to get her room suitable for inhabitation. I am busy.

I probably won't post any true AFTER photos until after she gets here because I want the "look" to be somewhat of a surprise. So, I apologize if you've been following along with this project and eagerly clicking over to see the results. The photo flood is only about a week away!

Friday, May 04, 2007

The moment I first laid eyes on this planter, I instantly thought of the classic, Alice in Wonderland. I envisioned a handful of these playful vessels strewn across a lush, over-grown garden. And then I went a step further and tucked teacups of all sizes, from the teeny-tiny to latté bowls, all over my imaginary yard. Cups and more cups, soaking in saucers, tucked behind benches and stems, each holding at least one precious bloom. What a magical scene!

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

The Chicago Reader put out their "Nest Issue" last week. Porcelain & I devoured the 6 eclectic apartment tours, as we love any chance to look inside someone else's home. But it wasn't until yesterday that we noticed that Whet Moser, the Reader's web editor, listed us as a design resource. Thanks, Whet!

Even though he failed to notice that there are two of us (most likely because we blend seamlessly into one aesthetically-confident blog voice), we love that he refers to us as "normal-person design."

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Does anyone have any good tips for taking out drywall anchors? As I prepare to paint the walls in Bamboo's new bedroom, I am finding that my ex-roommate left me with at least 8 pairs of these suckers. Nice.